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Behind the Rain Curtain 



Edith Bu;rows 




Successful Rural Play 

A Strong List From Which to Select Your 
Next Play 

FARM FOIiKS. A Rural Play in Four Acts, by Arthur 
Lewis Tubes. For five male and six female characters. Time 
of playing, two hours and a half. One simple exterior, two 
easy interior scenes. Costumes, modern. Flora Goodwin, a 
farmer's daughter, is engaged to Philip Burleigh, a young New 
Yorker. Philip's mother wants him to marry a society woman, 
and by falsehoods makes Flora believe Philip does not love her. 
Dave Weston, who wants Flora himself, helps the deception by 
intercepting a letter from Philip to Flora. She agrees to marry 
Dave, but on the eve of their marriage Dave confesses, Philip 
learns the truth, and he and Flora are reunited. It is a simple 
plot, but full of speeches and situations that sway an audience 
alternately to tears and to laughter. 

HOME TIES. A Rural Play in Four Acts, by Arthur 
Lewis Tubes. Characters, four male, five female. Plays two 
hours and a half. Scene, a simple interior — same for all four 
acts. Costumes, modern. One of the strongest plays Mr. Tubbs 
has written. Martin Winn's wife left him when his daughter 
Ruth was a baby. Harold Vincent, the nephew and adopted son 
of the man who has wronged Martin, makes love to Ruth Winn. 
She is also loved by Len Everett, a prosperous young farmer. 
When Martin discovers who Harold is, he orders him to leave 
Ruth. Harold, who does not love sincerely, yields. Ruth dis- 
covers she loves Len, but thinks she has lost him also. Then 
he comes back, and Ruth finds her happiness. 

THE OLD NEW^ HAMPSHIRE HOME. A New 
England Drama in Three Acts, by Frank Dumont. For seven 
males and four females. Time, two hours and a half. Costumes, 
modern. A play v/ith a strong heart interest and pathos, yet rich 
in humor. Easy to act and verj' effective. A rural drama of 
the "Old Homstead" and "Way Down East" type. Two ex- 
terior scenes, one interior, all easy to set. Full of strong sit- 
uations and delightfully humorous passages. The kind of a play 
everybody understands and likes. 

THE OED DAIRY HOMESTEAD. A Rural Comedy 
in Three Acts, by Frank Dumont. For five males and four 
females. Time, two hours. Rural costumes. Scenes rural ex- 
terior and interior. An adventurer obtains a large sum of money 
from a farm house through the intimidation of the farmer's 
niece, whose husband he claims to be. Her escapes from the 
wiles of the villain and his female accomplice are both starting 
and novel. 

A WHITE MOUNTAIN BOY. A Strong Melodrama in 
Five Acts, by Charles Townsend. For seven males and four 
females, and three supers. Time, two hours and twenty minutes. 
One exterior, three interiors. Costumes easy. The hero,_ a 
country lad, twice saves the life of a banker's daughter, which 
results in their betrothal. A scoundrelly clerk has the banker 
in his power, but the White Mountain boy finds a way to check- 
mate his schemes, saves the banker, and wins the girl. 

THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY 

PHILADELPHIA 



Behind the Rain Curtain 

A Play for Children 



By 

EDITH BURROWS 

Author of ''A Garden Cinderella'' 




PHILADELPHIA 

THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1921 






Copyright 192 i by The Penn Publishing Company 



©CI.O 57)31 

Behind the Rain Curtain 






I 



Behind the Rain Curtain 



CAST OF CHARACTERS 

Imagination. 

Joan A mortal child 

The-Little-Girl-Who-Came-With-You. 

East Wind A guide 

The Radiant Being. 

Cirrus The swiftest Cloud Child 

Cumulus The warm weather Cloud Child 

Stratus The nearest-to-earth Cloud Child 

Fog An old man 

MiST-o'-MoRNiNG His heautifid daughter 

Dew The cup-hearer 

Ice ] 

Snow r The cold weather ones 

Frost ) 

Lightning The golden one 

Thunder Her noisy husband 

Rain The loveliest of them all 

Three Earth Voices. 

The Voice of Joan's Mother. 

Time of Playing: — Forty-five minutes. 



STORY OF THE PLAY 

Joan is very bored becatise it has been raining for 
five whole days, and wishes it would never rain again. 
Then she is led away to the Kingdom of Moisture be- 
hind the rain curtain, and there she meets Fog and 
Mist, Thunder and Lightning, Ice, Snow and Frost, 
and they show her what the granting of her wish would 
mean. 



COSTUMES, ETC. 

Imagination wears during the Prologue and the 
first part of the Epilogue, a long enveloping cloak of 
gray, with an attached pointed hood, concealing all but 
her face. When she discards the cloak and hood at the 
end of the play, she appears in a rainbow colored cos- 
tume of shaded dyed scarves of silk or cheese-cloth. 

The-Little-Girl-Who-Came-With-You wears an 
ordinary little girl's dress. 

Joan wears an ordinary little girl's dress. 

East Wind wears long flowing soft draperies, pale 
gray in tone. Her face and head are veiled by a semi- 
transparent gray tissue, which is caught in place by a 
silver bandeau and floats about her as she moves. This 
costume can be easily made from cheese-cloth. 

The Radiant Being wears a white costume, classic 
in line and made various in hue by the rainbow lights 
which are shining down upon it. Cheese-cloth will do 
beautifully here. 

Cirrus wears a thin silky robe of white with some 
imitation snow on it to represent the ice-crystals com- 
posing the Cirrus clouds. This part should be taken 
by one who is graceful and very light of foot. 

Cumulus wears a short fluffy white costume, with 
puffs of cotton attached at intervals and carries over 
one arm a small basket of summer flowers. 

Fog wears trailing robes, part white, part gray and 
part yellow. This costume can be easily made from 
cheese-cloth, properly dyed so as to suggest the fog 

4 



NOTES ON STAGING 5 

tones. He has white hair and a long white beard. He 
carries a staff on which he leans. 

MiST-o'-MoRNiNG wears a short white Greek cos- 
tume for dancing, of fluffy white and rosy hues. 
White cheese-cloth with rose-colored scarves would do 
well here. 

Dew wears a short fluffy dress of gray gauze 
trimmed with chains of gleaming glass beads like drops 
of dew. She carries a large silver cup or chalice. 

Ice, Snow and Frost are mysterious white draped 
figures with their heads covered. They move close to- 
gether as if in unison and their faces are never seen. 
If feasible they should be kept in shadow as much as 
possible. They, too, all glisten with snow and ice. 

Lightning wears a straight, golden yellow robe and 
a crown of gold paper with many spikes like a Liberty 
crown on her head. She carries a torch. 

Thunder wears a long dark cloak and shrouding 
hood, which give him a forbidding and mysterious air. 

Stratus wears long draperies of dull gray, the gray 
of rain-clouds hanging near the earth. This costume 
may easily be made of dyed cheese-cloth, where shaded 
effects may be introduced if desired. 

Rain wears a thin silky costume of pale gray with 
over draperies consisting of silver spangled scarf or 
scarves, which give her a gleaming, sparkling appear- 
ance. 

The part of The-Little-Girl-Who-Came-With- 
You should be played by a little girl who sits in the au- 
dience and gives her speeches from there. These 
speeches only occur during the Prologue and Epilogue 
and so will not take the attention of the audience from 
the main course of the play. 



NOTES ON STAGING 

If possible, the outer curtains should be gray, but 
any good neutral-toned curtains will do. The only 
furniture required for Prologue and Epilogue is an 
easy-chair, as the window is furnished by — Imagina- 



NOTES ON STAGING 



tioii ! The stage back-drop and sides should be hung 
with dull gray curtains with gray gauze veiling them in 
places to give the effect of misty spaces, and the lights 
should all shine through gray gauze. If possible, a 
gray gauze curtain should hang in front of the throne, 
where the Radiant Being sits, to give an air of mys- 
tery, and all her arch of rainbow lights should shine 
through gray gauze. For the back and side curtains, 
dyed cheese-cloth may be used effectively, if other ma- 
terial proves too expensive, and if a very thin quality is 
used it will serve admirably as gauze veiling for the 
lights. The floor should be covered with light gray 
paper muslin, painted to appear transparent and gleam- 
ing in places with snow^ powder to give the effect of ice- 
crystals. The platform and throne of the Radiant 
Being should be wood covered with white cloth and 
heaped up with big fluffs of cotton to simulate cloud 
effects. All this staging may be made very simple but 
very effective by a skilful use of the side lights and 
the rainbow colored lights which should hang from the 
wall back of the throne. 



MUSIC 

Where music is indicated, any good classical music 
may be used. 



Behind the Rain Curtain 



PROLOGUE 

{The Prologue is enacted in the shallow space, between 
the footlights and the curtains, which if possible 
should be soft gray in tone. At the extreme right of 
this space stands an easy chair. As the footlights go 
up, Imagination enters slowly from the left, takes 
a few steps and then pauses to survey us. ) 

The-Little-Girl-Who-Came-With-You. Ooh— 

who is she? 

Imagination (anszvering her). 1 am Imagination 
at your service; pray, make use of me! You will 
scarcely need me to tell you that this object — {pointing 
to chair) is a chair; nor yet — {she claps her hands in 
summons and then indicates Joan, zvho enters from R. 
and languidly sits in chair) that this is a mortal child. 

The-Little-Girl-etc. What's her name? 

Imagination. Her name is Joan, and she is very 
bored. 

(Joan yawns widely and rests her head on her hand.) 

The-Little-Girl-etc. Why is she bored? 
Imagination. Because it has been raining for five 
whole days. Listen, and you can hear it. 

{A pause, during which no sound is heard.) 

The-Little-Girl-etc. I don't hear anything. 

1m AGTNATio-N {finger on lips). S-sh ! Listen! {A 
sound of rain is heard pattering faintly and then more 
loudly, until it finally dies away.) There; you heard 

7 



8 BEHIND THE RAIN CURTAIN 

it. Thaf s what Joan's been hearing for days and days. 
She can't think of another thing to do, so she's going 
to sit in that chair and look out of the window 

The-Little-Girl-etc. (interrupting in surprise). 
Window ? 

Imagination. Certainly, window. If you make 
use of me you can see quite clearly that the window is 

here [Pointing to a spot between Joan's chair 

and center stage, then anxiously continuing.) You do 
see the window, don't you ? 

The-Little-Girl-etc. (slowly). Ye-es, I see it 
now. 

Imagination (relieved). Of course you sec it! 
Well then, Joan is going to look out of the window at 
the rain, which is coming down so fast that it seems 
almost like curtains of water shutting away the outsidt 
world. 

(Joan gases steadily before her, as if she were watch- 
ing the rain, and then yawning, speaks. ) 

Joan. Ugh ! I hate rain ! I wish it would never 
rain again ! 

Imagination (finger on lips, steals quietly toward 
extreme left and speaks just before she goes off stage). 
The rain is singing a very sleepy song ! 

(She disappears and the sound of rain begins again, 
accompanied by soft music if possible. Joan settles 
herself comfortably in the big chair and seems to 
drowse. The lights gradually dim until the stage is 
entirely dark. During this time the chair is removed 
and Joan moves center stage before the curtains. 
At length music ceases and she speaks.) 

Joan. How strangely like a swinging silvery curtain 
the rain looks ! Why, it is coming nearer and nearer ! 

East Wind (unseen, on other side of curtain). 
Joan, Joan, come through the Rain Curtain to our side ! 

Joan (eagerly). How can I get through? 

East Wind. Don't you see the opening? Come! 



BEHIND THE RAIN CURTAIN 9 

X'^he lights come on dimly and soft music again sounds 
as the outer curtains part slozvly and Joan steps 
through into a gray and misty region. Just enough 
light is thrown on the stage to reveal the figure of the 
child and of East Wind in the foreground. The 
music ceases.) 

The Radiant Being (unseen and far behind the 
misty gray under-curtains) , ¥/here is the child who 
hates the rain? 

East Wind. She is here, Majesty. 

Radiant Being. Summon her to our presence, East 
Wind. 

East Wind. Yea, Majesty! {Then turning to 
Joan she holds out her hand and speaks.) Come with 
East Wind, Joan! 

(Joan takes the outstretched hand and together the 
two figures very, very slowly seem to float up stage, 
c. During this movement, soft music sounds and the 
lights on the stage gradually come up, revealing a 
setting of heavy, soft gray curtains, misted over with 
lighter ones of gray gauze through which glimmer 
rosy lights. At hack, center stage is a cloudy plat- 
form on which is seated the Radiant Being, over 
whose head arch heautifid rainbow colored lights 
which help to illuminate the scene. The floor is of 
transparent ice crystals, through which feathery 
clouds may be seen floating far below. The music 
ceases.) 

Joan (gasping with surprised delight). Oh, where 
are we ? 

East Wind. In the Kingdom of Moisture. 

Radiant Being (looking at Joan, whom East 
Wind has brought before the Ctoud throne). Is this 
the child. East Wind? 

East Wind (bowing low). Yes, Majesty. 

Radiant Being (clapping her hands softly to- 
gether) . Ho Cirrus ! Come hither, my swiftest Cloud 
Child. 



10 BEHIND THE RAIN CURTAIN 

(Enter from r. Cirrus, who floats rapidly toward the 
throne and bowing low, asks.) 

Cirrus. What is your wish, Majesty? 

Radiant Being (smiling). Cirrus, because you fly 
highest and fastest of all the Clouds, I would have you 
search out and bring to me your sister, Stratus, who 
loves to fly near to Earth. 

Cirrus. Your bidding shall be done, Majesty. 

(And she is off r., even as she speaks.) 

East Wind (to Joan, pointing to pavement). See! 

Joan (looking down through the crystals). O-oh, 
we can see her ! Where is she going ? 

East Wind. She is floating down to earth, to find 
Stratus. Look now, the other clouds have hidden her. 

Radiant Being (calling sweetly). Cumulus, Cloud- 
Child of warm days — approach ! 

(Cumulus drifts lazily in from l. and approaching the 
throne, slowly hows.) 

Cumulus. What will you have of me. Majesty? 

Radiant Being. See that my children Fog, Mist 
and Dew, together with Lightning and Thunder, appear 
presently in our hall. There is something which we 
must discuss. (Cumulus starts slowly away to obey 
this command, then the Radiant Being, holding up her 
hand, adds.) Stay! I had almost forgotten that Ice, 
Snow and Frost must be with us also, though 'tis not 
their season to appear. 

(Cumulus lazily nods assent and then drifts off l. to 
deliver the Radiant Being's message.) 

Joan (looking after her). She makes me think of 
blue skies and warm summer days. (FoG appears at 
L. and leaning on his stick moves slowly toward the 
throne.) Oh — who is that? 

East Wind. Fog, the old man of our kingdom. 

(Fog hows low before the Radiant Being and then 

standing at L. of throne he beckons to some one off 



BEHIND THE RAIN CURTAIN II 

stage, L.) See, he is summoning his beautiful daughter, 
Mist-o'-Morning, who has Hngered behind to play with 
the Sunbeams. Here she comes now. 

{Soft strains of some classic dance music s'oimd and 
MiST-o'-MoRNiNG trips lightly in from the l. and 
executes an cesthetic dance, which she finishes before 
the Radiant Being with a graceful bow. She then 
takes a place near her father. Meanwhile^ also from 
the L., little Dew has entered and now approaches 
the throne, holding aloft her silver chalice. ) 

Joan {ptdling East Wind's arm excitedly). Oh, 
who is the darling little one coming ? 

East Wind. Can you guess ? 

Joan. Is it Dew ? 

East Wind. Yes, little Dew, the cup-bearer for all 
growing things. 

(Dew bows before the Radiant Being and stands near 
Fog and Mist-o'-Morning.) 

Joan (shivering). B-rrrr ! Fmcold! Wliat makes 
it so chilly here now ? 

East Wind (pointing to R., where enter the three 
mysterious glittering figures, Ice, Snow^ and Frost). 
There comes the reason. The winter forms of Mois- 
ture have entered. 

(The three figures start to approach the throne, hut 
the Radiant Being waves them, back to a place at 
the R.) 

Radiant Being. Welcome, my Winter Children, 
but come not nigh, lest the warm breath of Summer 
destroy you! 

(Suddenly the stage grows dark and Lightning flashes 
several times before making her entrance. From 
the darkness. East Wind's voice is heard.) 

East Wind (reassuringly to Joan). Do not fear, it 
is Lightning, and she is really very lovely. You will 
see her in a moment. 



12 BEHIND THE RAIN CURTAIN 

(The lights come up as stately Lightning slides in 
from the r. and bowing to the Radiant Being stands 
R. of throne.) 

Joan. Ooh — isn't she beautiful ! {A terrific peal 
of thunder sounds and Joan clutches East Wind in 
alarm.) Wh-what is that? 

East Wind {laughing). Only Lightning's husband, 
Thunder. Here he comes now. {Pointing r. where 
Thunder enters to another reverberating crash and 
inclining his head toward the Radiant Being, takes up 
his stand near Lightning.) He makes a great amount 
of noise, but he's really quite harmless. Come and 
see. 

{As East Wind speaks she leads Joan hy the hand 
across to R. of stage near Thunder and Lightning. 
At this point there conies a call froju Cirrus l. off 
stage.) 

Cirrus. We have found her, we have found her, 
Majesty ! 

(Cirrus and Cuaiulus enter l. afid stand near Mist- 
o'-MoRNiNG, etc.) 

Cumulus {pointing l.). She is coming, Majesty; 
she is coming ! 

{Enter from L., Stratus, leading by the hand, Rain.) 

East Wind {to Joan). The tall one is the other 
cloud child, Stratus, who floats nearest to earth. 

Joan. And the other? The lovely little one — who 
is she, East Wind? 

East Wind {looking at Joan oddly). Don't you 
know ? 

Joan. No. 

East Wind. But you said you hated her ! 

Joan {gasping). She is not Rain? Rain is surely 
not so lovely? 

(East Wind bows in assent to Joan's questtons.) 



BEHIND THE RAIN CURTAIN I3 

Stratus {advancing slowly toward throne). Maj- 
esty, you summoned me; so I have come hither with 
my Httle sister, Rain. 

Radiant Being. You have done well. Stratus. 
{She waves her to one side, then motioning Rain to 
approach nearer, she continues.) Welcome, Rain 
child! 

Rain {one arm raised high in greeting). Hail, 
Majesty ! 

^ All {softly and sweetly). Welcome, welcome, little 
sister Rain ! 

Rain {pattering lightly toward throne). It is good 
to be here again^ Majesty. My work on earth keeps 
me away so much, that I often miss you all. 

Radiant Being. We miss you too, little Rain, so 
much, that now we mean to keep you here with us 
forever ! 

Rain {so surprised that she sits down on a cloud 
seat). Majesty! {Gasping.) But Majesty, you caw7 
mean that ! What would the earth do without me ? 

Radiant Being. As to the earth, we've just found 
out that they don't want you down there ! {Pointing 
to Joan, she goes on.) Here is a mortal child who 
has just uttered a wish that it might never rain again. 
It's very simple; she doesn't want you and we do, so 
I'm going to make her wish come true ! 

Rain {turning a shocked little face toward Joan). 
But she can't know what the granting of such a wi«h 
would mean! 

Radiant Being {quietly). That's just what we're 
going to show her. 

Lightning {flashing in a second of darkness). If 
Rain never goes to earth again, what good can I do? 

{The lights come up and a rumble and roar of 
Thunder is heard. ) 

Thunder. Or I? {And he scowls at Joan.) 
Ice, Snow and Frost, {in muffled tones). And what 
will become of us? 

(Joan shivers again with cold.) 



14 BEHIND THE RAIN CURTAIN 

P'oG (sighing sadly). Without Rain to take Moisture 
to earth, neither I nor my daughter, Mist-o'-Morning, 
can Hve. 

(He droops his head and Mist-o'-Morning leans deso- 
lately against him.) 

Dew (looking at her silver chalice and shaking her 
head). Nor yet I. I think the flowers will be thirsty 
down there without me to give them their morning's 
drink. 

Stratus (moaning). If Rain's work on earth is 
over, then there is no longer need for the clouds. 

(She draws her gray robes over her face.) 

KastWii<:d (ntstling softly). Listen! Listen care- 
fully ! The Earth Voices are speaking ! 

First Earth Voice (from a great distance). Rain, 
Rain, where are you ? We are the Seeds in the ground 
and all Growing Things on earth. We miss you and 
need you. Come back to us, Rain, come back ! 

Second Earth Voice (a little louder). Why have 
you gone from us, Rain? We are the Brooks and the 
Lakes and the Rivers. Even the Oceans join in our 
cry. Come to us before we perish for lack of you. 
Come, Rain ! Come ! 

Third Earth Voice (the saddest of all). We are 
the People of earth, dear Rain, who suffer because you 
have gone away. The heat burns us and the cold chills 
us ; our thirst is unbearable ; we are dying without you ! 

Rain (turning to Joan). You hear? Nothing on 
earth can live without me. (Stretching out her hands 
in appeal.) Oh, little girl, you don't really wish me to 
stay away from earth, do you ? 

Joan (almost sobbing). No! (She stumbles for- 
zvard toward the throne.) No, I don't want you to 
stay away. (To Radiant Being.) Please, Majesty, 
please let her come back to earth again. 

Radiant Being. You are very sure that you wish 
her back ? 

Joan (eagerly.) Oh, yes! You will let her come? 



BEHIND THE RAIN CURTAIN 1 5 

Radiant Being (slowly). I think that she may 
return. 

Joan (quickly, as the lights grow dimmer and the 
Kingdom of Moisture begins to fade aivay). You 
promise? You promise? 

Radiant Being (as if from a great distance). She 
will return. I shall send as a sign of promise to you 
on earth — (a pause, then very softly, but quite clearly 
come the last words) my Rainbow! 

(The arch of rainbow-colored lights go out on these 
words, the stage becomes entirely dark, and while 
soft music is played the outer curtains are dropped, 
the chair is replaced at l. and Joan again takes up 
her drowsing pose in it, as she was when the lights 
first went out. ) 



EPILOGUE 



(The lights go up and the music ceases. From the R. 
Imagination enters as before.) 

Imagination (to us, confidentially). S-sh, she is 
going to wake up in a moment, and then you'll see 

(Pause.) 

The-Little-Girl-Who-Came- With -You. What 
shall we see? 

Imagination (conclusively). What you will see! 
Remember — the window is still here. (Indicating the 
space in front of Joan.) But the rain has almost 
stopped ; the sun is shining through rifts in the clouds. 
Listen — Joan's mother is calling her ! 

Joan's Mother's Voice (off stage). Joan, little 
daughter, do you see it? (Joan yawns, sits up, rubs 
her eyes and stretches — the voice continues.) Look 
quickly out of the window ! 

(Joan stares out of the make-believe window and 
Imagination says to us dramatically.) 



l6 BEHIND THE RAIN CURTAIN 

Imagination. Now, you'll see ! 

(And she whisks off her long cloak and stands revealed 
in her fairy-like rainbow garb looking through from 
the other side of the zvindow at Joan.) 

Joan {clapping her hands in delight as she remem- 
bers). The promise! The promise! Oh, Tm so glad 
to see you. Rainbow, dear ! 

{And clasping hands they both bow low and then dis- 
appear through the curtains, leaving you and me and 
The-Little-Girl-Who-Came-With-You to go 
home and dream of Rainbows.) 

curtain 



Successful Plays for All Girls 

In Selecting Your Next Play Do Not Overlook This List 

YOUNG DOCTOR DEVINE. A Farce in Two Acts, 
by Mrs. E. J. H. Goodfellow. One of the most popular 
plays for girls. For nine female characters. Time in 
playing, thirty minutes. Scenery, ordinary interior. Mod= 
ern costumes. Girls in a boarding-school, learning that a 
young doctor is coming to vaccinate all the pupils, eagerly con- 
sult each other as to the manner of fascinating the physician. 
When the doctor appears upon the scene the pupils discover that 
the physician is a female practitioner. 

SISTER MASONS. A Burlesque in One Act, by Frank 
DuMONT. For eleven females. Time, thirty minutes. Costumes, 
fantastic gowns, or dominoes. Scene, interior. A grand expose 
of Masonry. Some women profess to learn the secrets of a 
Masonic lodge by hearing their husbands talk in their sleep, 
and they institute a similar organization. 

A COMMANDING POSITION. A Farcical Enter^ 
tainment, by Amelia San ford. For seven female char- 
acters and ten or more other ladies and children. Time, one 
hour. Costumes, modern. Scenes, easy interiors and one street 
scene. Marian Young gets tired living with her aunt, Miss 
Skinflint. She decides to "attain a commanding position." 
Marian tries hospital nursing, college settlement work and 
school teaching, but decides to go back to housework. 

HOW A WOMAN KEEPS A SECRET. A Comedy 
in One Act, by Frank Dumont. For ten female characters. 
Time, half an hour. Scene, an easy interior. Costumes, modern, 
Mabel Sweetly has just become engaged to Harold, but it's "the 
deepest kind of a secret." Before announcing it they must win 
the approval of Harold's uncle, now in Europe, or lose a possible 
ten thousand a year. At a tea Mabel meets her dearest friend. 
Maude sees Mabel has a secret, she coaxes and Mabel tells her. 
But Maude lets out the secret in a few minutes to another 
friend and so the secret travels. 

THE OXFORD AFFAIR. A Comedy in Three Acts., 
by Josephine H. Cobb and Jennie E. Paine. For eight female 
characters. Plays one hour and three-quarters. Scenes, inter° 
iors at a seaside hotel. Costumes, modern. The action of the 
play is located at a summer resort. Alice Graham, in order to 
chaperon herself, poses as a widow, and Miss Oxford first claims 
her as a sister-in-law, then denounces her. The onerous duties 
of Miss Oxford, who attempts to serve as chaperon to Miss 
Howe and Miss Ashton in the face of many obstacles, fttmist 
an evening of rare enjoyment. 

THE PENN PUBUSHING COMPANY 

PHILADELPHIA 



LIDMMMT Ul- UUNUHtSb 



016 102 516 1 ^J 

The Power of Expression 

Expression and efficiency go hand in hand. 

Tne power of clear and forceful expression brings conn- 
j.cnce and poise at all times — in private gathering's, in public, 
discussion, in society, in business. 

it IS an invaluable asset to any man or woman. It can often 
•be turned into money, but it is always a real joy. 

In learning to express thought, we learn to command 
thought itself, and thought is power. You can have this 
power if you will. 

Whoever has the power of clear expression is always sur# 
©f himself. 

Tfee power of expression leads to: 

The ability to think "on your feet" 

Successful public speaking 

Effective recitals 

The mastery over other minds 

Social prominence 

Business success 

Efficiency in any undertaking 

Are these things worth while? 

They are all successfully taught at The National School oiv 
Elocution and Oratory, which during many years has de 
veloped this power in hundreds of men and women. 

A catalogue giving full information as to how any of these 
accomplishments may be attained will be sent free on request 

THE NATIONAL SCHOOL OF 
ELOCUTION AND ORATORY 

1714 De Lancey Street PhiladelpliM 



